Apparatus for indicating location of metallic particles in fibrous bodies



MW 9, 950 K. L. @RSE-R 2,506,887

APPARATUS FOR INDICATING LOCATION 0F METALLIC PARTICLES IN FIBROUSBODIES Filed June 29, 1945 .D -SW1 N.

SWG? @Sh UMKMQ QF HIS ATTORNEYS llocation yof such Patented May 9, 1950f 'I' OF F I CE APPARATUS FOR INDICATING LOCATION 0F METALLIC PARTICLCLSIN FIBROUS Keith L. Orser, Auburn, N. Y., assignor to Columhian RopeCompany, Aubarn, N. Y., a corpora- -tion of New York Application .inne.29, 1945, Serial No. 602,382

(Cl. 15w-183) 2 -Claiins 1 This inventionrelates` to improvements inindicator n'iechanisrns` andlarticularly to a mechanism for indicatingthe presence and location oi metallicy particles `in bodiesoi materialssuch as reinforcingA 0r iiller-materialior moldableplas- ,ticscompositions.

As is well known in the. present day art of high pressure plasticsmolding itisthe Ygeneral practice .to combine with the plastics,commonly called lthat have been used isVegetable fibers andtofacilitatehandling such filler material it has been ythe practice insomeinstances to prepare comparatively long iibers in the form of a bator web and. pass thesame vthrough a, standard textile nee- 4dlingmachinewhichresults in the formation of small tufts or groups oi .bersthroughout the web to more or less loosely interlace the bers `andsubstantially stabilize the web. .Such ,preparation of the bcrsforplastics compositions is more fully shownand described in United-States Letters Patent No.2, 24A9,V88,8, dated. July 22, i941. vItfrequently occurs, however, that the needles of the needling machinebreak .off and becomeemvkbedded intheneedled bat of fibers sothatthereIis great danger ofthe highly iinished surfaces of the mold usedvinmolding a composition y,being ,scratohedor damaged vandrenderedpractically worthless. For thisreason itis highly desirable todetect and remorebrcken needles or other ,metallic bodies that .maybecome embedded in the web of bers andthe primary object of theinvention `is to'iacilitate the removal of 'these metal particlesbyprovidingia which will automatically mark or denote on `the web themetallic particles embedded therein.

A further object `is to provide an indicating mechanism wherein-the weboi :filler bers is fed a continuousllength past a normally inoperativemarkingdevicewhich is adapted yto be rendered operative by the closingof the electrical Ycircuitfor -anelectricmotor which actuates the Ameansfor .feeding the web past thel marking dev1ce.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certaindetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, allas will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel featuresthereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figur-e l is a side elevational view oi an apparatus embodyingthepresent inventiomthe electrical equipment which forms nopart of theinvention being vshown schematically;

Fig. 2 is a detailplan lview of thedriving connections between the webfeeding means and the motor for driving the latter;

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram fortheapparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 isa diagram of a modiiied arrangement which will permitthermarking deviceto berendered operative without interrupting the webfeeding mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammatical illustration of a modified formof marking device.

in theapparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, the web of ber filler materiallili-s fed through an electrical device capable of detecting thepresence of metallic particles inthe web. This so-called metal detectorper se may be purchased in the onen market and, of course, is notclaimed herein, Hence it has been illustrated only schematically and maybe briey described as comprising an oscillator head Il and a detectorhead l2 between which the web Il] is passed. As is well understood inthe art of electronics, the oscillator head has two coils, orcomponents, so arranged with respect to each other that. theelectromagnetic iields produced by currents flowing in the two coilsexactly oppose or balance one another so that the effect in the areaaround the head is the same as if no iield were being produced. Thus,under such conditions, no current lis induced in the coil of thedetector head. The coil of the detector head is Yin a circuit whichcontains ampliiier tubes and a thyratron or :so-called nigger tubewhich, in turn, all as is well known, comprises a cathode and plate and,if the balance between the two coils or components of the oscillatorhead is disturbed. as for instance, by the presence of a piece of metalin the web being fed through the detector, a current will be induced inthe detector head coil and this current amplified by the amplier tubeswill result in a current iiowing from the cathode to the plate of thethyratron or trigger tube. Thus, by incorporating in the plate circuitof the triggeim tube, a sensitive relay capable of closing properoperating circuits, the action of the detector mechanism can be utilizedfor controlling the feeding and the marking of the web of fibers todenote the location of metallic objects therein.

Preferably, the web of fibers is supported on a non-metallic orinsulated surface I3 and is fed along said surface between theoscillator and detector heads by friction rolls it, I5, one of which isdriven by a sprocket chain i6 from a sprocket I1 on shaft I8 which, inturn, is driven by the electric motor I9. l'n order that the operatormay interrupt the feeding of the web without cutting olf the motor,rotary motion is transmitted from the armature shaft 29 of the motorthrough a worm 2l to a Worm gear 22 on shaft I8, and the latter isprovided with a clutch mechanism 23, including a clutch lever 24, at apoint intermediate gear 22 and sprocket I1 whereby the latter may bemanually rendered inoperative by the operator Vdisengaging the clutchVing fluid from reservoir 21 to nozzle 25 Yis controlled by a solenoidvalve 29 in supply line 26,

ksaid valve being actuated asfwill now be described in connection withthe explanation of the wiring diagram of Fig. 3. If it is desired toautomatically interrupt the feeding of the web before the marking uid isapplied to the web through nozzle 25, the various instrumentalities areconnected electrically as illustrated in Fig. 3. The main feed lines,30, 3l, inwhich there is interposed a main switch 32, areconnected bylines 33,31% to the oscillator and detector heads. The motor circuitconsists of lines 35, 36, connected Vto lines 33, 34, respectively, andto the 4motor I9 through the contactorsV of'a relay 31 in lines Y35andt.- The coil Yof relay! is indicated at 31a-in the control circuit.which consists of line 323 connected between lines 33, 3A and havingtherein,in addition to coil 31a, a manually operable, normally opencontrol switch 39, coil its of a relay with contacts 4i! in the solenoidcircuit, coil @la of a relay with contacts IBI in a line 42 forshort-circuiting the control switch 33, and the contacts ofrelay 43, thecoil of which is in `the plate circuit of the thyratron or trigger tubeof the detector mechanism previously described. The solenoid circuit isformed by a line 44 connected between lines 33, 34, and preferablyincludes a manually operable'switch 45 in addition to thesolenoid- 29and relay contacts-443. The control switch 39 is of the push typenormally yieldingly held open by` av spring A(not shown) while theswitch i5 must be opened and closed manually.

V-Assuming the control switch 39 `to be open, contacts of relays 3h49and-M to be open, and the contacts of relay e3 to be normally closed,Vthe operation of the apparatus is as follows: When the main switch 32is closed the solenoid and detector circuits are'energized and whencontrol-switchv V39 is closed the coils 40a, Maand 31a will be energizedto actuate the corresponding relays with the result that the motorcircuit is closed by relay contacts 31; relay contacts 40 in thesolenoid circuit close and relay contacts 4I in line i2 also close. Theoperator may then immediately release the push button switch 39, and thedetector circuit and motor will remain energized through lines 3B, 42and 3|, as relay acts as a holding circuit to energize relay coil 31aand hold its contacts closed. However, the contacts 49 will open as aresult of coil lilla being deenergized, it being remembered that relay43 is normally closed. Upon the motor I9 being energized, the ber webstarts moving between the oscillator and detector heads and, at thismoment, the manual switch l5 should be closed, thus permittingcompletion of the solenoid circuit whenever relay de is subsequentlyenergized. Under these conditions, if a fragment of metal in the webpasses between the detector and oscillator heads the former will operateto initiate flow of current in the trigger tube, as previouslydescribed, and as the coil of relay t3 is in this circuit its contactswill open. Upon relay 43 being thus opened the control circuit is thusbroken so that the coil 31P- of the relay 31 in the motor circuit isdeenergized and the motor I9 rendered inoperative. The relay lil is alsodeenergized so that holding circuit is opened. Thus, the movement of theber web between the oscillator and detector heads is interrupted andwill not be resumed until the control switch 39 is again depressed. WhenthisV is done the coil 49a of relay 40 will be energized with the resultthat the contacts of relay it will be closed and switch 45 havingpreviously been closed the solenoid valve 29 will be energized to openthe valve thus permitting an increment of marking iiuid to be ejectedfrom nozzle 25 onto the surface of the web. By properly positioning thenozzle above the web with regard to the momentum or the rate of movementof the web after motor i9 has been re-energized, it is possible tosubstantially mark the exact location, longitudinally of the web, of thepiece of metal in the web which caused the interruption in themovementof the web. That is, the fragment of metal will be found to belocated within a very short distance, probably less than a half inch, ofa line extending transversely of the web through the mark applied by themarking device. The discharge of the markingviiuid from the nozzle willcontinue only so long as the operator retains the control switch 39closed because the moment this switch is released it returns to its openposition so that relay 49 is deenergized. However, the holding circuitof relay 4I keeps relay 31 energized so power is supplied to the motoruntil relay contacts i3 are again opened. Thus, there is what might bedescribed as a more or less instantaneous application of the markingfiuid to the surface of the web. It will also be appreciated that oncethe apparatus is set in motion the solenoid valve is opened eachsubsequent time that the control switch is closed..

Where it is desired to apply the marking to the web without cutting outthe motor the wiring arrangement is such as that illustrated in Fig. 4.In this instance, the main line wires 39, I3I, having the main switchI32 therein, are adapted to be connected to the oscillator and detectorheads as before and the circuit for motor 199 comprises the line 35which is connected to the main line wires and has incorporated therein amotor control switch |39 which is manually closed and opened so that itwill remain closed until opened by the operator. The marker mechanismcontrol circuit indicated by line |40 comprises the solenoid |29 foractuating the marking mechanism and the normally open relay |43 whosecoil is included in the plate circuit of the thyratron or trigger tube.With this arrangement after the main switch |32 has been closed and asuiiicient time interval allowed for the filaments of the oscillator anddetector heads to become heated the motor circuit is energized byclosing the motor control switch |39. So long as the web of materialbeing fed between the detector and oscillator heads contains no metalthe relay |43 will remain open but if a piece of metal passes betweenthose detector elements the consequent flow of current from the cathodeto the plate of the trigger" tube will result in relay |43 being closedand thus energizing the solenoid |29 whereupon the marking will beapplied to the web. As will be apparent, this closing of the I solenoidcircuit |40 has no eiTect upon the motor circuit and hence the web willcontinue feeding past or through the detector head so that the markermechanism will be operative only for an instant, or until the piece ofmetal in the web passes beyond the sensitive zone of the detectormechanism.

In lieu of applying a liquid marker to the web, the marking may be doneby imprinting it upon the surface of the web by an arrangement such asis diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5. That is, the solenoid 229 maybe utilized to actuate a lever 230 carrying a printing or marking head23| so that as the solenoid is energized the printing or marking head23| will be moved into contact with the surface of the web.

While the present apparatus has been described in connection with themarking of a web of vegetable fibers to be used as filler material forplastics compositions it will be appreciated that the apparatus can beused for similarly marking any web of non-metallic material regardlessof the use to be made of the latter.

What is claimed is:

1. An indicating attachment for a detector apparatus comprisingelectronic devices having balanced electromagnetic iields responsive tothe presence of metallic bodies in the filler material oi' a plasticsmolding composition positioned in proximity to said iields, saidattachment having, in combination, means for conveying said material inproximity to said ilelds, means operable by said electronic devices torender said conveying means inoperative and arrest actuation of saidconveyor means upon detection oi a metallic body in said iillermaterial, manually controlled means for rendering said conveyor meansoperative, holding means actuated by said manually controlled means forholding said conveyor means in operative condition upon release of saidmanually controlled means, and normally inoperative marking means forapplying a marking to said filler material for denoting the location ofa metallic body in the filler material, said normally inoperativemarking means being rendered operative by the actuation of said manuallycontrolled means to render said conveyor means operative.

2. Apparatus for denoting the location of metallic bodies concealed in abrous web comprising a normally inoperative marking device for applyingan indicating mark to said web, mechanism for feeding said web past saidmarking device, power means for driving said feeding mechanism, a motorcontrol circuit for said power means, a manually operable startingswitch for actuating said motor control circuit to render said powermeans operative to drive said feeding mechanism, a holding circuitactuated by said starting switch for holding said motor control circuitin actuated condition after release of said starting switch, a markingcontrol circuit for operating said marking device, said marking controlcircuit being actuated by operation of said starting switch and renderedinoperative upon release of said switch, and means responsive to thepresence of a metallic body in said web for rendering said holdingcircuit inoperative and thereby stopping said feeding mechanism.

KEITH L. ORSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,890,063 McBean Dec. 6, 19321,906,820 Shaw May 2, 1933 1,933,351 Suits et al Oct. 31, 1933 2,036,814La Pierre et al. Apr. 7, 1936 2,087,783 Savage July 20, 1937 2,228,294Wurzbach Jan. 14, 1941 2,237,254 Broekhuysen Apr. 1, 1941

